ENJOYMENT AND HARD WORK -PRE-REQUISITES TO SUCCESS
The idyllic scenario, although most unfortunate, in the wake of the outbreak of the COVID-19, has, albeit, provided me some time to introspect, ruminate and, of course, indulge in any favourite hobby — reading. In the spare time available to me away from my profession (getting used to “work from home” did take some doing) and helping, rather uncharacteristically with household jobs, I caught up on my reading and read about the Legendary Boxer and Philanthropist, Muhammad Ali.
Muhammad Ali, widely regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all time, was also one of the most respected sports figures in the 20th Century. His fights for the World Heavyweight title in the 1960s and 1970s, where he attained unqualified success, garnered record-breaking audiences worldwide, were keenly looked forward to not only for the extraordinary levels of boxing but also the chutzpah and show-manship that were an integral part of the entire show. Outside the ring, he did admirable work as a writer, philanthrophist and activist apart from achieving more than reasonable success as a musician ( he received two Grammy nominations) and as an actor.
Researching about his life and reading books by and about him, I came across this remarkably inspirational quote attributed to him:-
“I hated every minute of training;
Don’t quit ………. Suffer now;
And live the rest of your life, like a champion”
Common place and elementary, it may seem, the above quote encapsulates and puts in clear perspective, the struggles, obstacles and pitfalls that are an integral part of the path to success and sustained glory. The incessant physical demands and mental strains that hours of training put your body through and the constant striving for perfection and desire to attain Everestian goals make the process invariably slow. In the process frustration and disappointment are constant hangers-on with the mind as well as the body ever willing to yield or as Muhammad Ali very telling says -the feeling of “hate” towards the entire process invariably threatening to dominate.
In this situation it is only the strong willed and doggedly determined and not the weak-kneed or faint hearted who last the distance. The capability and desire to overcome the transient, yet overpowering thoughts of quitting and conquering the demons in the mind and continue the pursuit of your goals, howsoever distant they may appear, is the trade off between present suffering and future success, even glory, — as so tellingly mirrored in Muhammad Ali’s life. The ability to barter or even mortgage your present life by pursuing your goal in all its earnestness and putting the extra yards, or the extra hours or in any manner as your chosen vocation or profession may demand is what distinguishes the achievers from the also-rans. Examples abound in all fields of human endeavour laying bare the fact that the symphony of success has only been woven through strings of hard-work, perseverance, denial and even pain as opposed to a life of ease and comfort.
Indeed a sportman’s ability to challenge and punish his body not only in terms of physical endurance but also expanding his skills, a musician/artists propensity to practice his strings and expand his repertoire, a Dancer’s efforts to perfect the moves and attain the ultimate silken grace and spontainety of movement, a scientist’s desire to unravel nature’s mysteries and foray into areas so far unknown, a mountanineer’s quest not only to conquer the highest peaks but also in double-quick time, may be without oxygen and even repeatedly, the list is endless and the need for constant hard work most self evident.
Related to the need to put in extra yards is the need to enjoy what you are doing — it is only the synergy of work and joy that multiplies to an amazing degree, the chances of success, fame and even fortune. A scenario where the grey matter willingly works concertedly with the physical effort that the body is putting in will only open up the pathways and exponentially accelerate the process towards success. Where the mind is willing the body inevitably plays ball. When the twin forces of sustained hard work and enjoyment operate in tandem, the output, both quantitatively and qualitatively expands multiple-fold. This is the lesson that I have learnt by my reading about and following the lives of great thinkers and achievers closely.
The sense of enjoyment in these high achievers and admirable personalities is also reflected in the extremely pleasant and smiling expression on their countenance and gracious conduct. Watching the performances of sportsmen on the playing field, a musician performing on the biggest stage or human beings at work in any field of conceivable endeavour gives the impression of a perfectly calm exterior and pleasant visage. However masked behind the external appearance is the extra-ordinary efforts, which could involve the various human faculties working in unison at optimum capacity at ensuring the perfect result which is also an indicator of their dedication to their chosen vocation. Although I have personally witnessed this phenomenon on several occasions, the joy on watching the “Sitar Maestro” legendary Late Pandit Ravi Shankar in one of his last public performances in Nehru Park, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi was beyond compare. Even at that age, the spontaneity of the effort and the effortless ease with which he played at the strings of the Sitar made the entire experience mesmerising. The impression that has permanently been ingrained in my mind is his self-evident feeling of joy and the constant beatific smile on his face.
On the matter of enjoying your work, the following words of the Iconic Steve Jobs, widely regarded as the pioneer of the personal computer revolution and co-founder of Apple are inspiring :-
“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life,
and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you “believe” is great work.
And the only way to do great work is to love what you do and if you haven’t found it yet, keep looking.
Don’t settle.
As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it”
The above quote is reflective of the heart prevailing over the mind in choosing what to pursue and choose something that you would enjoy doing– in matters as grave as choosing a vocation or profession let the heart prevail over the mind (in my opinion, a pain in the heart is infinitely more excruciating, long-lasting and scary that in the mind) and pursue it doggedly, determinedly and passionately — put in the effort — the pains and aches that you will encounter along the way are mere pitstops on the ultimate road to success and glory.
